Author: Mary Ebeling

Last Week

We had some memorable rain events last week, leading to flooding, downed trees, and other complications for pretty much everyone. Saturday morning I woke up to a large tree branch in the middle of the street. As we all experienced, and as the pictures submitted to MB’s Facebook page, bike paths suffered downed trees and flooding as a result of these storms. I know that in the moment we just deal with the obstacles before us and can forget to let the city know so the mess can be cleaned up. As a reminder, the City’s “report a problem” site provides a way to let the city know about these issues and hopefully address them quickly!

View post on imgur.com

“Path down from Odana golf course, about 100 ft from SW Commuter Path.” Photo by Don Thornton.

View post on imgur.com

“Green Prairie/Dunn’s Marsh storm flooding.” Photo by Scott Sauer.

As if all this rain wasn’t challenging enough, the record high temperatures have not been for the faint of heart. Undeterred, the Tour de la Familia Latino rode this past Saturday. I have not heard how many folks attended. We’re hoping someone from the BiciClub Latino de Madison can let us know!

This week

The Madison Bikes Board meets at 6:00pm–⁠8:00pm on Monday, June 18 at the Madison Public Library, 201 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703. Please attend and learn what we are doing and how you can help!

On Tuesday, June 19 the Madison Common Council meets at 6:30 at the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 201, Madison, WI.. The agenda looks packed but about half-way through they will discuss the much maligned “hairball” intersection of John Nolen/Williamson/Blair/Wilson streets. The full agenda for the meeting is here.

Chris Rickert from the Wisconsin State Journal discusses the differing opinions on if the proposed redesign is satisfactory in this article. While it looks like the Council is likely to move forward with accepting the report on the redesign, it is definitely not too late to ask for changes that would further improve the bike/walk environment at this stressful intersection.

Also on Tuesday, Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee will meet from 6:00 pm –⁠ 7:30pm at Bendyworks, 106 E Doty St #200, Madison, WI.

Don’t forget to check Madison Bikes blog on Wednesday, June 20^th for the second installment in a three-part series by Jonathan Mertzig. Jonathan lived in the Netherlands and shares his experience biking and walking in that country, where planning, engineering and policy has made biking the preferred mode of transportation in urban areas.

View post on imgur.com

On Thursday, a new BCycle station will open at and in partnership with the Goodman Community Center. Center participants can get a free membership, and there will various family-friendly festivities, 4:30-6pm.

On Sunday, June 24 Bike the Art tour happens from 12:00pm –⁠ 3:30pm. Meet at Allen Centennial Garden, 620 Babcock Dr, Madison for a free all-ages bike tour of galleries, events and unique art venues across Madison. The tour includes exclusive access to artist talks, workshops, and tours of exhibitions and art spaces. Participants are welcome to join the tour at any stage; please refer to the schedule linkded below for where and when to meet with the group. Additional stops include Working Draft Beer Company and Madison Circus Space. Bike the Art is sponsored by Dane Arts, Madison Arts Commission, Arts + Literature Laboratory, VEA Events, The Bubbler at Madison Public Library, Community Art Discourse Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/167531243939829/

Last Week

This past Tuesday the Madison Common Council failed to overturn the Mayoral veto on the Council approved option #2 for the reconstruction of Winnebago St. This essentially sends the design for the project back to the drawing board. Rather than hiding in a corner and licking our wounds, we should consider this an opportunity to make the design of the entire length of Winnebago — from the Yahara River to Union Corners a complete street for all users. We will need to stay engaged as the restarted process moves forward. Stay tuned for updates on design proposals and meeting schedules.

This coming week has a few Bike to Work Week events leading up to the big Wisconsin Bike Week events scheduled for the first week of June. (As of Sunday night, when this was posted, the Bike Fed website was down, so we can’t link to the events calendar. But we’ll get more information to you well before things start on June 2.)

This week

While it looks like this week will be somewhat challenging on the weather front, there are some fun biking events that should make you forget about any rainy day woes and help you enjoy the ride. There are also a few meetings worth keeping tabs on.

On Monday, May 21, Bike Fitchburg holds its monthly meetings from 6:30pm –⁠ 8:30pm at the Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd. Anyone with an interest in improving biking in Fitchburg should feel free to attend.

Tuesday, May 22 Local cyclist and personal trainer Krierstin Kloeckner and Harbor Athletic Club Wellness Center host a free Yoga practice for Bike to Work Week. Practice starts at 6:30am and runs until 7:15am. Bring your own mat! Harbor Athletic club is located at 2529 Allen Blvd, Middleton.

On Wednesday, May 23^rd at 5:00pm Short Stack Eatery, at 301 W Johnson St, will have mechanics from Wheels for Winners to help you get your bike in tip top shape. Have a beer and hang out with Madison bike lovers! AND, if you ride your bike to the pop-up there will be discounts and raffle prizes. Come hang out with us and win cool stuff!. Did I mention beer?!? More info here.

Also on Wednesday the Middleton Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit Committee meets 6:30 – 7:30pm at the Middleton City Hall, 7426 Hubbard Ave. The agenda should be at this link, but it doesn’t seem to be working, so if someone has a link, we’ll throw it up here. http://sire.cityofmiddleton.us/sirepub/meet.aspx

Thursday, May 24^th Harbor Athletic Club and local cyclist Kierstin Kloeckner continue rocking the support for Bike to Work Week with a free Pilates class from 6:30- 7:15 am. Set the alarm early and head over to Harbor to limber up before the ride in to the office. Bring your own mat!

Saris again coordinates with Metcalf’s Bratfest Friday, May 25^th to bring us the annual Bike Your Brat to Work Day! The first 200 cyclists to bike through the brat fesr at 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way will get to up to two bratwursts, compliments of Saris! Plus, cyclists get to bypass dozens of cars. Be early if you want to be sure to grab that breakfast brat, as there’s typically a line of hungry bicyclists ready for their breakfast brats. This event kicks off the World’s Largest Brat Fest, bright and early on May 25th.

Hard to believe that this was less than a week ago (Photo: Gordon Sussman)

On Sunday, the Tour de la Familia Latina/Tour of the Latin Family, had a great ride, with more than 50 folks riding bikes in Madison while biking up trash they found in recognition of Earth Day.

This week, after what felt like fourth winter, it seems that spring is finally here. If it felt warm on Sunday, it was – we finally broke 60 degrees and lots of folks were out on bikes taking advantage. Weather should be in the 50’s and 60’s so we should see lots more folks getting out and enjoying riding.

Awesome weather aside, there are a few meetings, including one very important meeting of the Joint Pedestrian Bicycle Motor-Vehicle Commission and Long Range Transportation Planning Commission on Tuesday. The planned diverter at Blair and E. Mifflin is on the agenda for approval at this meeting. There are also a slew of fun events on Saturday celebrating biking through bike demos, socializing with bikes and beer, and music with a bicycle themed performance of UW Madison Madrigal Singers and Chorale.

On Monday, April 23 Bike Fitchburg holds its monthly meeting at Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53711, USA, 6:30pm –⁠ 8:30pm. Anyone with input on improving cycling in Fitchburg should attend.

On Tuesday, April 24 A Joint Meeting of Pedestrian Bicycle Motor-Vehicle Commission and Long Range Transportation Plan Commission will decide on making the diverter at Blair St and East Mifflin permanent. This diverter is the first real change to the design of the E. Mifflin Bike Boulevard and will improve the safety of the roadway for all users. As Jonny Hunter, member of the Marquette Neighborhood Association’s traffic committee, noted, “[Developer] TWall has been putting up significant opposition to this and has hired a lobbyist to fight the diversion.” It will be key to have folks show up in support of the traffic calming project. Also on the agenda: The consultants for the John Nolen/Blair project are presenting their final report.

The meeting begins at 5:00 pm and is in the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 201, Madison, WI 53703. The full agenda is available here.

After having to reschedule because of the snow, on Wednesday, April 25 the Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee meets from 6pm–⁠8pm at Bendyworks, 106 E Doty St #200.

On the weekend, you have several options for fun bike events. On Saturday, April 28 you can test ride mountain bikes at Quarry Ridge. For more information check out the event’s Facebook page here.

From 11:00am to 3pm check out Bike Day at Working Draft Beer Company at 1129 E Wilson St, as it celebrates bikes, beers, and better weather! Neff Cycle Service will be hanging out in the parking lot from 11am-3pm offering FREE bicycle safety checks and helping tune up bikes for Spring. Working Draft will have a full lineup of beers. I mean all the beers (hoppy, malty, lagers, ales, GF – you name it). Come get beered, socialize, and get the bike ready for the season! More info here and here.

At 7:00pm join the UW Madison Madrigal Singers, Chorale & Jazz Quintet for the concert: “Free Wheeling: A Tribute to the Bicycle” The performance is at Mills Concert Hall, 455 N. Park St. The UW Madrigal Singers and Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Bruce Gladstone, will join forces to present “Free Wheeling: A Tribute to the Bicycle”, Saturday April 28 at 7pm in Mills Concert Hall. The concert opens with no less than five world premieres, written specifically for this concert. There are two works from John Stevens, veteran composer and UW-Madison emeritus professor. “Toasting Song” is a rollicking number about the pleasures of both cycling and wine. “A Bicycler’s Song” takes a poem in praise of bicycles and cycling. Free and open to the public. Event Description here.

Spring is definitely on the way and the ramping of activities for this week’s update shows it.

• We have an important meeting on the planned reconstruction of Winnebago Street (discussed in more detail below).
• Madison BCycle is back after being away all winter. To celebrate and give everyone a taste of the subject, you can ride free the first week of April. There’s a promo code to use, so follow the link for more information.
• North Hancock St from E Johnson to the E Washington will be closed for three weeks for reconstruction, starting April 2. In addition, the intersection of E Mifflin and N Hancock will be close. Yes, that’s going to be a pain when you are using the bike boulevard! The city says you’ll be able to get through by bike, but you’ll have to get off and walk.
• A report on the results of the East Mifflin Diverter test is available. Although the city received some pushback, they are recommending that the diverter be made permeant.
• A stolen bike Boy, does it suck when someone takes off with your beloved ride. Let’s bring Kelsey Walsh’s bike home!!

The reconstruction of Winnebago Street is on the agenda of the Madison Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Motor Vehicle Commission (PBMVC) when they meet Tuesday evening. The meeting begins at 5:00 pm in Room 201 of the City-County Building. The PBMVC will consider two proposed designs for the reconstruction of Winnebago St between Second St. and Bashford Ave. The public can speak for three minutes on this item (or any item on the agenda.) You can also find the list of Commission members here, in case you want to email them.

Thanks to Grant for creating a comprehensive overview of the project and its implications for people walking and biking on Winnebago here. Plans proposed by the city seek to create a more neighborhood-scale street profile that would benefit residents and street users alike. Option 2 offers more positives for everyone using the street:

• Better access for walking from southeast side of street, especially with the elimination of the current grade separation,
• Better, shorter crossings for people on foot,
• Buffered lanes for bikes,
• ADA accessible bus stop at Fourth St,
• Narrower lanes for motor vehicles to encourage lower traffic speed,
• A wider terrace on southeast side of the street would provide space for bigger, canopy-type street trees.

If you can get to the PBMVC meeting on Tuesday to voice support for Option #2 that would be great. If you are unable to attend, consider sending an email in support of Option #2 to the members of the PBMVC, city engineering, and Alder Marsha Rummel before the Tuesday meeting. Here’s the list of all those emails, so you can cut and paste them, if you want.

• aaron.crandall@yahoo.com,
• eclewandow@aol.com,
• grantxyz@gmail.com,
• district2@cityofmadison.com,
• hiwayman@chorus.net,
• district9@cityofmadison.com,
• district18@cityofmadison.com,
• devos@ssc.wisc.edu,
• JWolfe@cityofmadison.com,
• CBachmann@cityofmadison.com,
• district6@cityofmadison.com

A detailed discussion of Madison Bikes review of the alternatives for Winnebago is available in a recent blog post.

Here are the week’s calendar, at a glance:

Monday, March 26

Bike Fitchburg monthly meeting, 6:30 –⁠ 8:30 pm at the Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd.

Tuesday, March 27

Pedestrian, Bicycle, Motor Vehicle Commission meeting, 5:00 pm, Rm 201 of the City County Bldg, 210 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Wednesday, March 28

Middleton Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit Committee, 6:30 pm at Middleton City Hall, 7426 Hubbard Ave.

Thursday, March 29

Olbrich Park Public Input Meeting, 6:00 –⁠ 8:00 pm at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The City of Madison Parks Division is hosting a public input meeting to discuss improvements at Olbrich Park focusing on the Garver Feed Mill – North Plat and the Olbrich Botanical Gardens operations area. At this meeting, City staff will review current site conditions and seek input from area residents and project stakeholders on the proposed improvements. If you have questions or comments but are unable to attend the meeting, please contact Mike Sturm at (608) 267-4921 or at msturm@cityofmadison.com.

Saturday, March 31

Spring Rides

Cafe Domestique, 1408 Williamson St, Madison. This ride rolls rain or shine. The folks at Café Domestique are riding! What better way to guarantee that you’re going to ride than have a group hold you accountable? Meet at Domestique at 8:30 for Coffee, 9am roll out. Moderate 15mph pace, almost all pavement unless the group is feeling adventurous. Plan for the weather to be lousy. Distance 30 – 50 miles.

In Case You Missed It

Here are a few of the most popular posts on the Madison Bikes Facebook Group this past week:

After an autonomous vehicle killed a pedestrian in Arizona, a lot of people had an opinion about what that means for human-powered transportation.

A great story about how a stolen bike brought out the kindness and community in Brooklyn.

Researchers at UWM have a bike survey about where and when you ride and how safe you feel.

For those that may not be fond of cold-weather riding, this week will give you a little taste of spring. Surely winter is not over, but the temperatures should be high enough to tempt the fair-weather riders. Enjoy some of the opportunities below or work on improving the city.

Monday, February 26

Bike Fitchburg monthly meeting; 6:30–⁠8:30 pm. Come to the meeting and let the folks working to make Fitchburg an awesome place to bike you’re your ideas and concerns. Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd.

The MEAThead Ride leaves from Ford’s Gym, 2114 Winnebago St 7:00 pm. The ride follows the lake loop with the option to add on a trip through the Arboretum. This weekly ride is ends the last week of March, so if you haven’t gotten to meet up for this ride yet and have been thinking about joining the group, the time is now.

Wednesday, February 28

Madison Bikes Advocacy Committee; 6:00–⁠7:30 pm at Bendyworks, 106 E Doty St #200. Stop by to see what this committee is planning or talk about any ideas you might have on what we can do on the advocacy front.

Middleton Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit Committee; 6:30–⁠7:30 pm, Middleton City Hall, Council Chambers, 7426 Hubbard Ave. The agenda can be found here.

Thursday, March 1

Madison Bikes Development Committee; 6:00–⁠7:30 pm, Colectivo Coffee – On the Square, 25 S Pinckney St.

Ontario Park Bike Path Meeting; 6:00–⁠7:00 pm, Whitehorse Middle School, 218 Schenk St. Come learn about a proposed bike path through Ontario Park. This is a short path that makes a critical connection for the Whitehorse School kids and the Eastmoreland neighborhood. More information on the planned bike/pedestrian connection to the Capital City path can be found on the project website.

The week of January 29 has several great events going on AND there is only one municipal meeting because it’s the fifth week of the month! So celebrate all the reasons winter biking is spectacular and get ready for Winter Bike Week, which starts Friday.

February 2-4 the Clean Lakes Alliance hosts the annual Frozen Assets winter festival on the ice behind the Edgewater. Madison Bikes will be there, so come visit us. We’ll be doing sled pulls behind fat bikes on the ice, and we’ll have an information table at the event. Friday night is the fat bike race, so come to participate or just watch the racers bike to Picnic Point and back.

Also happening this week:

Monday, January 29

The regular MEAThead ride around Lake Mendota leaves from Fords Gym, 2114 Winnebago St, at 7pm for a Lake Monona Loop ride, with an optional loop through the Arboretum. This weekly ride continues through March. We’ll keep mentioning it here but put it on your calendar!

Wednesday, January 31

Middleton Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit Committee 6:30pm –⁠ 7:30pm at Middleton City Hall, 7426 Hubbard Ave, Middleton, WI. This meeting was scheduled for last week but changed due to scheduling conflicts. It is now on January 31^st. The meeting does not appear on the City calendar but Kierstin Kloeckner has confirmed that the meeting is definitely happening. It just hasn’t made it to the calendar yet.

Friday, February 2

Madison Winter Bike Week 2018 – The celebration of all things winter biking runs from February 2 –⁠ February 9. The Madison Bike Events committee is hard at work finalizing the details on commuter stations and other events. Look for updates on events and activities on the Madison Bikes website and Facebook page.

Frozen Assets Winter Festival –⁠ Lake Mendota at the Edgewater Hotel, 1001 Wisconsin Place, Madison, WI 53703. Don’t miss the fat bike race to Picnic Point. The full schedule of events for the festival is here: https://cleanlakesalliance.org/frozen-assets/

Frozen Assets Fat Bike Race: Race to Picnic Point leaves from Lake Mendota in behind the Edgewater at 5:00pm

Wisconsin Death Rip – February 2, 2pm –⁠ Sat, February 3, 5pm

Revolution Cycles, 2330 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704 (Friday) and Blue Mount State Park, 4350 Mounds Park Rd, Blue Mounds, WI 53517 (Saturday)

Surly Bikes and Revolution Cycles in Madison team up again. This event should be a rocking good time with music, beverages, door prizes and bikes, or course! If you own a Surly, ride it to the shop for a prize! The shop party is Friday, February 2^nd. Doors open at 6, music at 7. Music from Hrad Vallis and Madison’s Sinking Suns. I already mentioned beverages but there will be beverages in abundance. Take your hangover to Blue Mound State Park on Saturday, February 3^rd for the Fat Bike Winter Demo at Blue Mound 11-5PM https://www.facebook.com/events/834821883394407/

Saturday, February 3

Wisconsin Death Rip: 10:00am Blue Mount State Park, 4350 Mounds Park Rd, Blue Mounds, WI 53517

Liv Winter Warm Up Ride to the Madison Winter Festival!: 10:00am to 1:00pm. This is a no-drop women’s group ride leaving from Fitchburg Cycles, 2970 Cahill Main, Fitchburg, WI 53711. This sounds like a fun social ride using Madison’s bike paths to go the Madison Winter Fest at Elver Park. More information on the ride and to RSVP is here: https://www.liv-cycling.com/us/events/winter-warm-up-no-drop-road-ride/5908

Sunday, February 4

Madison Winter Bike Week 2018 and Frozen Assets final day. Get out there and bike to the Edgewater to see the end of the festival! We are still planning events for the week, and we’ll have an update later in the week, but you can see some of the great events at the Madison Winter Bike Week 2018 page.

Of course, the big event coming up this week is the Winter Bike Fashion Show. We’ve been reminding you about it for weeks now, but we don’t want you to miss all the fun. Remember, it’s at the High Noon Salon on Saturday, December 9 at 1:00 pm. Bring your friends and family! We have a countdown on our Facebook event page, with one winter-cycling-related question a day.

View post on imgur.com

Preview of today’s question

But there are more winter cycling events this week, as well as some fun rides and of course, city and neighborhood meetings.

Monday

• It’s another casual ride around Lake Monona to keep your blood moving during the cold weather. Meet at Ford’s Gym, 2114 Winnebago St at 7:00 pm for the weekly MEAThead ride. This is a no drop, Lake Monona loop with optional loop through Arboretum.

Tuesday

• Madison Bikes Communications Committee meets from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Memorial Union – Sunset Lounge.
• Dream Bikes has open shop hours from 6pm to 8pm. Want to work on your bike but don’t have the tools or the mad skllz? Ride over to Madison Dream Bikes, 4245 W Beltline Hwy, for open shop hours.

Wednesday

• The University Bike Resource Center will offer some tips to keep you “Biking Through Winter” It’s a brown bag, so you can bring a lunch. Noon–⁠1:00 pm, University Bicycle Resource Center in the Helen C White garage, 600 N Park St. Join veteran winter cyclist and Madison Bikes board member Chuck Strawser for tips on biking through the winter. Suggestions for clothing and other gear plus basic winter maintenance tips and available resources. Free Planet Bike blinky light set to the first five attendees.

• If you are interested in hearing about the plans for the replacement of the Wingra Creek bridge just east of Fish Hatchery Rd, there will be a meeting about the plans 3:00–⁠4:00 pm at Strand Associates, 910 W Wingra Dr. This bridge offers a nice alternative to cross Wingra Creek for those who want to avoid the turn lanes at Wingra Drive and Fish Hatchery, or those accessing Wright Middle School. If you are unable to attend, please direct questions or comments to Lisa Coleman (lcoleman@cityofmadison.com or 608-266-4093).

View post on imgur.com

Location of the Wingra Creek Bridge

• If you want to hear about transportation plans for the entire metropolitan region, then check out the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board Meeting: 6:30pm –⁠ 8:30pm, Water Utility-Engineering, 119 E Olin Ave, Madison. Two items are of particular interest to Madison Bikes; a discussion of the autonomous vehicle testing corridor on Park Street and a discussion of the results of a bicycle level of stress analysis. The result of the Environmental Impact study WisDOT has completed for the terribly flawed and bike/pedestrian-unfriendly project it is proposing on Stoughton Road is also up for discussion. The full agenda is at the link above.

Saturday

• To pregame for the Winter Bike Fashion Show, join the Santa Cycle Rampage, starting at 10:30 am at Paceline Indoor Cycling, 601 N Whitney Way. It runs about two hours, or until it’s time to go to the big event.

• Winter Bike Fashion Show: 1pm-4pm; High Noon Saloon, 701A E Washington Avenue. Do you love to ride your bike in winter? Have you discovered the secret to staying warm and dry? The Winter Bike Fashion Show will return to the High Noon Saloon for its 2017 edition on December 9 at 1pm. Whether you’ve been riding a bike in the winter for a long time or are just curious, come join us. Share your expertise, your excitement for winter riding, and celebrate the season with others at a family-friendly event. Free admissions, cool door prizes, and Madison Bikes winter t-shirts for sale! RSVP on Facebook or just stop by.

We need more neighborhoods where people can bike. The Cap Times is sponsoring a discussion on Wednesday about how to build more great neighborhoods

Monday, November 6

• The first of this season’s Meathead rides rolls out from Fords Gym (2114 Winnebago St). This no-drop ride leaves at 7 pm and includes the Lake Monona Loop with an optional loop through the Arboretum. These rides are weekly on Mondays through March 6.

• At 4:30 pm the City of Madison Finance Committee will meet in room 354 of the City County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Boulevard. The committee will discuss three items of interest. The full agenda can be found on-line. The items that may impact bicyclists are:

1. Amending the 2017 Bicycle and Pedestrian Capital Budget to transfer $100,000 of existing GO borrowing authority between major programs Bikeways Program and Sidewalk Program.
2. Amending the 2017 Capital Budget of Engineering Major Streets, Neighborhood Traffic Management and Pedestrian Improvements and Authorizing the City to accept funds from Don Miller for the installation of a pedestrian island on Tokay Boulevard.
3. Accepting the Judge Doyle City Staff Team Report, Selecting the Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co. as the Operator for the Madison Bicycle Center in the Judge Doyle Project on Block 88 Subject to the Negotiation of a Final Contract, and Directing Further Actions

Tuesday, November 7

• The Madison Bikes Communications Committee meets from 5:30pm –⁠ 6:30pm at the Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. in the Sunset Lounge. If you are interested in attending, Let Harald know, in case we need to change rooms.

• Cap Times panel discussion – How can Madison build more great neighborhoods? This should be of interest to many bicyclists, because transportation choice in general, and a good environment for bicycling is one of the characteristic of a great neighborhood. RSVP at the Facebook invite. It will be held at the High Noon Saloon, 701 E Washington Ave, 6 –⁠ 8 pm.

Madison is one of the most rapidly growing cities in Wisconsin, which puts pressure on city government, neighborhoods and developers to channel that growth to places not only with essential city services but also with crucial amenities like grocery stores. So, what’s the best way for Madison to build great neighborhoods? The Cap Times has assembled an outstanding panel to discuss that question. City government reporter Abigail Becker will moderate the panel, whose members are: Michael Ford, an architecture instructor at Madison College whose work on the intersection of hip-hop culture and architecture has gained nationwide attention; David Mollenhoff, Madison historian and a key player in the 1960s revitalization of the Marquette neighborhood; Tariq Saqqaf, the city of Madison neighborhood resource coordinator; Heather Stouder, the city of Madison planning division director; Sheray Wallace, Meadowood neighborhood activist The event is free. Afterward, city of Madison staff will conduct small-group listening sessions for those who want to stay to gather input for the Imagine Madison project, which seeks community opinions about how and where the city should grow. The panel talk is the latest installment in the 2-year-old Cap Times Talks discussion series.

• At 5pm the Bicycle Facility Maintenance Policy workgroup meets at 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Room GR-27. The group has one agenda item- to present and review an updated policy on the maintenance of bicycle facilities. http://www.cityofmadison.com/sites/default/files/city-of-madison/clerk/meeting-schedule/bfmpw_agenda_nov_2017.pdf

Wednesday, November 8

• Middleton Budget Hearing –⁠ Funds for Century Avenue Bike Accommodations. At 6:00pm at Middleton City Hall, 7426 Hubbard Ave, Middleton. Kirestin Kloeckner has been very active on this issue, since she bikes this road every day and has had several very scary encounters — including being run off the road. Her request is for people to speak up for a safer road that is the only option for bicyclists in this area of Middleton. Although this is outside the city of Madison, Madison Bikes has written a letter of support because this is an important connection for the region, and for people trying to get into an out of the city.

Kierstin’s request: Please take a moment to either swing by the hearing at 6pm (and make a public comment) or write to the alders and mayor and help us get a bike path along Century Av. in Middleton. We need the vote to approve the planning stage next year and building stage the year after. If we don’t get the word out, this path could be dead in the water.

Saturday and Sunday November 11 – 12

Join Russ Hopkins of Container Collective Bikes at The Cargo Bike Shop for a two-day workshop and build yourself a custom single-speed or multi-speed bike frame out of sustainably grown and harvested bamboo. The Cargo Bike Shop will work with you to turn your new bamboo frame into your perfect complete bike with a variety of build kits — from stock to full-custom. Two-day weekend workshop is 9-5 both days. All the coffee you can drink courtesy of Cafe Domestique. Frame building materials are included, you simply need to show up. No prior experience with bicycles or construction of any kind needed – All construction is done with simple hand tools. More information at: https://www.facebook.com/events/346810392409786/

Sunday, November 12

The Madison Bikes Executive Committee meets at the Memorial Union Terrace, 800 Langdon St, from 5:00pm –⁠ 6:30pm